Tripod for rock-drills



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. BALL.

TRIPOD FOR ROCK DRILLS.

No. 455,269. Patented June 30,1891.

WITNESSES v uvVBJvq'oae Wa y/f d (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. BALL.

TRIPOD FOR ROCK DRILLS. No. 455,269. Patented June 30,1891.

r p. a.

I UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HARRY BALL, OF STAMFORD, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK LENGGENHAGER,OF GLENBRQOK, CONNECTICUT.

TRIPOD FOR ROCK-DRILLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4;55,269, dated June30, 1891.

Application filed August 25,1890- Serial No, 362,961. (No model.)

vrock-drills, while at the same time they shall be strong and durableand their operation in use shall be greatly improved.

WVith this end in view I have devised the novel construction which Iwill now proceed to describe, referring by numbers to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a rock-drill embodying my present improvements; Fig.

2, a detail sectional view on the line indicated by 00 in Fig. 1; Fig.3, a detail View of the clamp detached; Fig. 4c, a detail View of thecarrying-plate detached; Fig. 5, a View of the carrying-plate and clamplocked together, as in use; and Fig. 6 is a section on the lineindicated by y in Fig. 5.

It is of course well understood by those familiar with the use ofrock-drills that in mining the drills are ordinarily supported bycolumns, and in outdoor work they are supported by tripods.I-Ieretofore, in changing a drill from a column to a tripod, or viceversa, it has been necessary to change clamps, each support requiring aclamp of special construction. In other words, clamps ordinarily used inconnection with tripods cannot be utilized in connection with columns.An important feature of my novel tripod is that it is provided withaclamp which is equally adapted either to a tripod or a column, so thatthe drill and the clamp may be removed from the tripod at any time andattached directly to a column. This is a valuable feature in use, as theclamps are an important item of expense. Another important feature isthe simplicity of the adjustment of the tripod, which enables me withfew movements to lock the drill firmly in position to bore a hole at anyrequired angle either above or below the cyl inder of the drill.

1 denotes the cylinder of a rock-drill; 2, the steam chest; 3, thepiston-rod; 4, the drill attached thereto; 5, the feed-screw; and 6, aflanged base usually cast integral with the body of the cylinder. Theparts just described may all be of any ordinary or preferredconstruction, as they form no portion of my present invention.

7 denotes acarrying-plate having undercut ways 8, which are engaged bythe flange upon the base; This plate is provided with a central opening9 to receive a boss 10, which is formed integral with the arms 11-01":the clamp.

12 denotes the hub of the tripod, which is made of the same diameter itsentire length. In practice the arms of the clamp are adapted to incloseeither the hub of my novel tripod or a column, and are locked inposition by a bolt 13, having a nut 14.

In use boss 10 is passed into the opening in plate 7, as shown in Fig.6, and the flange of base 6 engages ways 8, as shown in Fig. 1. Theplate carrying the drill is locked to the clamp by means of hooked bolts15, the hooked portions of which engage a flange 16 on the clamp, theupper end passing through holes 17 in the plate and the partsbeinglocked together by nuts 18. In practice plate 7 is made wider atthe center, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, so as to give ample strength toresist any strain that can be brought to bear upon it. It will be seenthat by loosening nut 14 slightly the clamp, carrying the entiremechanism of the drill with it, may be turned readily upon the hub orupon a column, (not shown,) and that by loosening nuts 18 slightly theplate and with it the entire drill mechan ism may be moved in anotherplane, thus giving universal movement to the plate and drill mechanism.The parts are locked in place after adjustment by tightening up nuts 14and 18. It willof course be, apparent that the greatest strain in usewill come upon the parts which connect the cylinder and operative partsof the drill with the tripod or column. In the present instance the armsof the clamp are made sufficiently wide and strong to prevent thepossibility of their breaking in use, and by the use of the hooked boltsas a means of connecting the carryingplate with the clamp the entirestrain is placed upon the bolts, the two parts being drawn tightlyagainst each other instead of a portion of the strain being upon theparts themselves, as has heretofore been common. The only piece that canpossibly break is a bolt, and as the bolts are made heavy and strong itwill be seen that the danger of breakage is reduced to the minimum.Moreover, should a bolt break at any time, it may be replaced with butlittle loss of time and slight expense, skilled labor and the taking ofthe drill to a machine-shop being wholly unnecessary.

19 denotes the two side legs, which are screwed into sockets 20 in theusual manner. These sockets are provided with clampingarms 21, whichinclose the hub in precisely the same manner as arms 11, and are lockedtogether by bolts 22, having nuts 23, one only of the bolts and nutsbeing shown. (See Fig.1.) It will of course be understood that thissimple construction enables me to adjust either of the side legs uponthe hub by loosening the nut 23 and moving itto the desired position.

24; denotes the back leg, which is provided with the usual branches 25.These branches are preferably made flat on their inner sides and engagegrooves 26 in the outer faces of washers 27. The washers are madeconcave on their inner sides, and the two ends of the cylinder are alsopreferably made concave, as shown in Fig.2. The back leg is locked inposition by abolt 28, which passes longitudinally through the hub,through both branches of the back leg, and through both washers, asclearly shown in Fig. 2, the parts being locked in position by a nut 29.By making the wash ers concave, as shown in the drawings, 1 insure thatthere will be contact at all times between the outer edges of thewashers and the ends of the cylinder, the central portions of thewashers being of course drawn inward to increase the clamping-surfacewhen nut 29 is tightened up.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A tripod consisting,essentially, of a hub, side legs having independent pairs of arms whichinclose the hub, washers at the ends of the hub, having grooves 26 intheir outer faces, a back leg having branches 25, adapted to engage thegrooves, and a bolt passing through the hub longitudinally and throughthe branches and washers, whereby said leg is locked in position.

2. In a tripod, the combination, with hub 12, of a back leg havingbranches 25, washers at the ends of the hub, having grooves 26 in theirouter sides, adapted to be engaged by the branches, and a bolt 28,passing through the hub longitudinally and through the branches andwashers, substantially as de scribed.

3. A hub 12, made concave at its outerends,

the back leg having branches 25, washers 27, made concave on their innerfaces and having grooves in their outer faces engaged by the branches,and a bolt passing through the hub, branches, and washers, said partsbeing locked in position by tightening up the bolt and springing thewashers inward.

4:. The combination, with the hub and the carryingplate having anopening 9, of a clamp having arms engaging the hub, a boss engagingopening 9, and a flange 16, a bolt for clamping the arms about the hub,and hooked bolts passing through the carryingplate and engaging theflange, whereby the carrying-plate may be adjusted relatively to theclamp and both carrying-plate and clamp may be adjusted relatively tothe hub.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY BALL.

\Vitnesses:

RICHARD Bons'rnn, BENJAMIN Lookwoon.

